Oral Appliance Therapy

Oral appliance (OA) therapy involves the selection, fitting, and use of a mouthpiece specially designed by a dental sleep specialist working together with your physician. The OA maintains an open, unobstructed airway in the throat when worn during sleep.

OAs work by repositioning the lower jaw forward, moving the tongue, soft palate, and uvula. In addition, OAs stabilize the lower jaw and tongue; they also increase the muscle tone of the throat and tongue.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has indicated that OA therapy is an option for patients with mild to moderate OSA who prefer this method of treatment to CPAP, and for patients with severe OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP or have failed surgery.

Advantages of OAs include their small size, portability, and comfort. Treatment with OAs is generally reversible and non-invasive.

After being diagnosed with OSA or snoring by your physician, and prescribed an OA, the dental sleep specialist performs a comprehensive evaluation. The type of appliance is selected, then molds of the teeth and bite are made, and those are sent to a lab for fabrication of the OA. After the OA is delivered, a period of adjustment ensues to obtain optimum effectiveness, which is confirmed with a follow-up sleep study for OSA patients.

OAs have been reviewed by the FDA and are regarded as class II medical devices.